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      Arsenal players at World Cup 2022: 18 stars set for Qatar with seven to stay at home

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      ARSENAL aces aim to take their Samba-style hot form to Qatar.Three Brazilian join a trio of Three Lions among up to 18 Gunners who could go to the World Cup, with around seven players missing out.
      Brazilian centre-back Gabriel, England centre-back Ben White and Three Lions’ keeper Aaron Ramsdale, are all hoping for World Cup placesCredit: Getty
      England winger Bukayo Saka and Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus have been in scintillating form for the Gunners ahead of the World CupCredit: Getty
      Exciting attackers Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Jesus could get the chance to make their biggest impact yet on the international stage.
      And two unsung midfielders who skipper their national sides will expect to have key roles in Qatar.
      Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka has looked reborn under Emirates chief Mikel Arteta this season, although Ghana hero Thomas Partey will be anxious to avoid more fitness problems.
      But one star definitely absent, due to groin surgery, is three-cap Englishman Emile Smith Rowe.
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      And a batch of young Gunners hope the World Cup has not come too early for them, such as Portugal’s Cedric Soares and Belgium midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga.
      Here’s our guide to the Arsenal men fighting for spots in Qatar.
      ENGLAND
      Wideman Bukayo Saka is the only Gunner likely to start for the Three Lions.
      Versatile defender Ben White could scrape into Gareth Southgate’s squad, while Aaron Ramsdale is tipped to be one of the two back-up keepers to Jordan Pickford.
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      BRAZIL
      Gabriel Jesus has arguably been the Prem’s top striker this season – except of course for Erling Haaland at his old club Manchester City.
      And of the Gunners’ three Brazilian Gunners, he’s in pole position to make Tite’s World Cup squad.
      Defender Magalhaes and wideman Martinelli, however, should also make the party.
      PORTUGAL
      Right-back Cedric Soares, 31, and playmaker Fabio Vieira, 22, are struggling to make Fernando Santos’ powerful squad.
      FRANCE
      William Saliba’s brilliant breakthrough campaign at the Emirates, after three loan spells away, means he’s suddenly a near cert for the French squad.
      But a starting spot looks a tough ask as France have one of the world’s most formidable selections are blessed with one of the best selection of centre-backs.
      USA
      Ex- New England Revolution keeper Matt Turner appears sure to go.
      And Auston Trusty, the right-back recruited from Stan Kroenke’s Colorado Rapids, is shining brightly enough on loan for Birmingham to also have a real chance.
      Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are major players for Ghana and Switzerland respectively and also enjoying their best seasons for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      SWITZERLAND
      Granit Xhaka is finally a fixture for Arsenal – just like he’s long been for Switzerland in winning 106 caps as anchorman.
      Only injury can deny the 30-year-old the winter sun in Qatar.
      GHANA
      Xhaka’s midfield partner Thomas Partey is nailed on for the World Cup – as long as he doesn’t pick up yet another untimely injury.
      BELGIUM
      Former Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga is sweating on his World Cup place after playing just a bit-part role for the Gunners.
      JAPAN
      Despite limited game-time at club level after recovering from injury, right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu should be a solid contributor for outsiders Japan.
      SPAIN
      Full-back Hector Bellerin must be long odds to make the Spanish squad, having slipped well down the pecking order at the Emirates.
      MEXICO
      Having rebuffed England and Canada in favour of Mexico, 19-year-old attacking midfielder Marcelo Flores is pushing for a spot in Qatar
      TUNISIA
      Dutch-born centre-back Omar Rekik, 19, should go to Qatar, particularly as he’s performing well for Sparta Rotterdam on loan.
      STAYING AT HOME
      Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard are big-name absentees, while Mohamed Elneny also misses out.
      Former England Under-21 stars Rob Holding and Reiss Nelson are also preparing for a mount without action.
      And Emile Smith Rowe is recovering from groin problems. More

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      Sambi Lokonga ‘p***ed off’ with Belgium boss Martinez and says he ‘almost snapped’ and asked for Arsenal transfer exit

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      ARSENAL midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has revealed he almost quit both Arsenal AND the Belgium national team earlier this year.The 22-year-old joined the Gunners from Anderlecht for £18million in the summer of 2021.
      Lokonga has taken aim at both club and country for their recent treatment of himCredit: Getty
      He started 16 times under Mikel Arteta last season, but was often reduced to being used as a back-up in the middle of the park.
      This consequently saw him struggle for game time with his country as Belgian boss Roberto Martinez opted to leave him on the bench in both of their friendly matches in March.
      And it has left Lokonga furious with the former Wigan and Everton manager as the World Cup fast approaches.
      Speaking to La Derniere Heure, he said: “I called him the day after the international match in March. I was really p****d off.
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      “I thought for a moment that I didn’t even want to play for the national team anymore. I was disgusted.
      “Martinez said he preferred players who are playing regularly at their club.
      He was also not completely satisfied with my training. I don’t think he can portray me as a bad boy who doesn’t work hard. It would be too easy to put up such a picture of me.
      “He can’t use something like that to justify why I don’t get to play.”
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      Lokonga has not been included in Martinez’s squad since the friendlies in March.
      And the midfielder has also admitted he considered departing Arsenal following just one campaign in England.
      “At the end of last season, I almost snapped,” he added when speaking about his first year in the Premier League.
      “I called my agent to ask him if staying at Arsenal was a good idea.
      “He comforted me in my choice, even though I know I need to start more often to develop.”
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      Lokonga has enjoyed more game time so far this season, featuring in six of the Gunners’ 11 Prem matches and starting all three of their Europa League games.
      Arteta’s men sit top of the Premier League table with nine wins from 10 and also boast a 100 per cent record in Europe. More

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      Watch Sadio Mane whisper message to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka at Ballon d’Or ceremony amid Liverpool transfer links

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      BAYERN MUNICH star Sadio Mane whispered a message to Bukayo Saka as the pair met at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday night.Former Liverpool forward Mane, who moved to the German champions in the summer, finished as runner-up in the award to Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.
      Sadio Mane shared a discreet message with Bukayo SakaCredit: Twitter
      Mane may have spoken to Saka about his transfer futureCredit: Splash
      Arsenal are keen to tie Bukayo Saka down to a new dealCredit: AFP
      Before the ceremony got underway he bumped into Arsenal gem Saka, embracing his fellow forward.
      It is not clear what was said between the pair but Saka beamed as he listened to what Mane had to say.
      Some have speculated that Mane was trying to persuade the England international to move to Anfield.
      Jurgen Klopp is believed to be a big fan of Saka with Liverpool and Manchester City reportedly monitoring his situation at Arsenal.
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      The Gunners are trying to ward off interest by offering the 21-year-old a new contract.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is confident an agreement will be reached after claiming in the summer that Saka and the club are aligned in their in their goals.
      The North London outfit are reportedly keen to tie Saka down for three or four more years.
      And the club have offered him a contract worth £200,000 per week – nearly SEVEN TIMES his current salary which stands at just £30,000 a week.
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      Saka also dropped a huge hint he is staying put with Arsenal back in the title race.
      He has “personally invested” in an executive box at the Emirates, a significant indicator that he does not see a transfer away from Arsenal transpiring in the near future. More

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      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta tapping up England rugby boss Eddie Jones and Michael Jordan’s ex-coach for manager tips

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      MIKEL ARTETA has been tapping up England rugby boss Eddie Jones and big hitters from American sport as Arsenal tilt for the title.The Gunners’ manager has kept up his regular chats with a group with Jones and Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers.
      Mikel Arteta is seeing his methods bear fruit with Arsenal top of the table this seasonCredit: PA
      Michael Jordan’s former coach Mike Dunlap is among those sharing adviceCredit: Getty
      Arteta and the rest of the brains trust swap ideas and share headaches over Zoom and Jones has had the Arsenal chief into England camp in Bagshot.
      Jones 62, said: “He’s a super bright young coach. It’s like Alcoholics Anonymous. We all go in and share our problems and everyone tells you what they think. It’s fantastic.
      “We’ve got Mikel, Matt LaFleur the Green Bay Packers head coach, George Karl who’s an NBA hall of famer, Mike Dunlap who was Michael Jordan’s head coach when he bought the Hornets. We’ve got all these guys in the same room.
      “We just share stories and each other’s problems and try and come up with ideas of how we can take coaching forward. He (Arteta) is a brilliant young guy.”
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      Jones was glued to the Amazon All or Nothing Gunners documentary and has picked up tips from the Spaniard who is over 20 years younger than him.
      And the Aussie will urge his England rugby side to take a leaf out of Arsenal’s book with a year to go to the Rugby World Cup.
      Jones added: “Look how fast Arsenal get out of the blocks. Every game they’re at it. They play with energy, they know how they want to play, they put the opposition on the back foot.
      “In rugby – and we’ve been good at it at times and not so good at other times – 75 per cent of Test matches are won by the team who score the first try.
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      “I don’t know what the percentage would be in the Premier League for teams who score the first try but I’d imagine it would be high.”
      Arsenal have a four point lead in the table after another positive weekend for Arteta’s team.
      They had to dig deep to win at Leeds amid late VAR controversy.
      Later Liverpool won a pulsating match against Manchester City at Anfield to stop Pep Guardiola’s side from closing the gap. More

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      ‘We’ve signed a weird one’ – Watch Vieira bizarrely brush injured Arsenal star Martinelli’s face leaving fans puzzled

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      FABIO VIEIRA left Arsenal fans scratching their heads as he was spotted brushing off Gabriel Martinelli as he lay on the floor.Martinelli had gone to ground and appeared to be in pain as he writhed around on the floor.

      Fabio Vieira bizarrely brushed Gabriel Martinelli as he lay on the floor
      The interaction left fans puzzled
      However, Vieira, seemingly in an attempt to help his team-mate, brushed off the Brazilian’s head instead of helping him to his feet.
      And the interaction left Arsenal fans perplexed.
      One user said: “I think we’ve signed a weird one.”
      A second user said: “This guy,” and added a trio of laughing emojis.
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      A number of other users remarked with comments such as “wtf” or a row of laughing emojis.
      One user even shared a gif of the Simpsons with main character Homer enjoying a bird picking at his hair, and paired it with the caption: “It’s called grooming mate.”
      The Portuguese playmaker was only on the pitch for 17 minutes in The Gunners’ 1-0 win against Leeds but definitely gave the fans something to remember, even if the overall performance was less than stellar.
      Despite producing arguably their worst performance of the season, Mikel Arteta’s side went four points clear at the top of the table thanks to Bukayo Saka’s first-half strike.
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      They were also helped out by Patrick Bamford’s profligate finishing in front of the net, with the striker missing late on from the penalty spot.
      Fans also noted the leadership qualities of Granit Xhaka after he gave a stern dressing down to Gabriel Magalhaes to help him avoid a red card – with the defender still fuming after lashing out against Bamford. More

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      ‘Arsenal may actually win the Premier League’ – Piers Morgan leads excited Gunners after Man City lose at Liverpool

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      PIERS MORGAN led excited Arsenal fans in claiming they can win the Premier League – after the Gunners stayed four points clear thanks to Manchester City’s “bubble bursting”.Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Leeds was followed by City losing 1-0 away to Liverpool as drama and controversy hit both Premier League matches.
      Bukayo Saka celebrates his winner that put Arsenal four points clearCredit: Getty
      OMG. Four points clear… City’s bubble bursting… I’m trying to stay calm, and I know it’s still early days… but ARSENAL MAY ACTUALLY WIN THE BLOODY PREMIER LEAGUE. 🤩🤪🙏🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/RdOGREsiUx— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 16, 2022

      Liverpool striker Mo Salah sunk champions Man City to boost Arsenal’s title hopesCredit: Reuters
      And although celebrity Gunners’ fan Morgan insists he is “trying to stay calm” about their title chances he is clearly failing.
      Arsenal’s ninth victory in ten Prem matches this season stretched their advantage at the top as second-placed City lost for the first time.
      SunSport columnist Piers tweeted: “OMG. Four points clear… City’s bubble bursting…
      “I’m trying to stay calm, and I know it’s still early days… but ARSENAL MAY ACTUALLY WIN THE BLOODY PREMIER LEAGUE.”
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      In-form Bukayo Saka saw off Leeds in a match delayed by 40 minutes due to a power outage.
      Home sub Patrick Bamford later missed a penalty – before referee Chris Kavanagh sent off Gabriel for kicking Bamford in stoppage time and awarded Leeds another spot-kick.
      But Kavanagh u-turned on both decisions after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
      Mo Salah then sunk City with a scintillating late strike, with each team furious at decisions in a heated contest, including Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp being sent off near the end for complaining.
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      But Morgan’s buoyant response sparked scepticism from many fans online, some suggesting it was far too early to get excited.
      One said: “Lol. Leeds battered you in that second half today. Not a chance 3rd or 4th at best.”
      Another tweeted: “You really don’t know. I knew Liverpool would win, they are on the same high energy. Arsenal rode their luck and some.”
      And a City follower posted: “We lose at Anfield every year. No bubble is bursting.”
      Of Morgan’s belief that an Arsenal title triumph is possible, another fan posted: “Spoiler alert: They won’t.”
      Ad the TV presenter’s previous doubts over the Gunners keeping boss Mikel Arteta were also pointed out.
      One observer also argued it was unfair to judge on just Sunday’s action.
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      He tweeted: “Not even City wins all their matches in an absolutely impressive manner. At times, you’d play badly and still win.
      “You need luck on you side sometimes to get all three points. The Leeds game was the worst game for Arsenal yet this season.”
      Piers Morgan is getting excited now after Arsenal’s fine startCredit: The Mega Agency More

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      Arsenal winning ugly shows Mikel Arteta’s troops really ARE in the Premier League title race

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      ARSENAL managed to retain their spot at the top of the table with a win over Leeds… just.It was by no means an easy task for Mikel Arteta’s men, who arguably put on their worst display of the season so far.
      Arsenal scraped a narrow win over LeedsCredit: Getty
      Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal for the GunnersCredit: Getty
      Aaron Ramsdale kept Arsenal in the gameCredit: AFP
      But, nevertheless they live to see another day at the peak of the Premier League thanks to Bukayo Saka’s first-half finish.
      Arsenal’s star boy scored the decisive goal in spectacular style by placing the ball into the top corner from a narrow angle.
      But he offered little after that, as did Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.
      Meanwhile, the back four showcased a defensive disasterclass.
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      William Saliba, who has been one of Arsenal’s highest performing players so far this season, made too many mistakes – one of which was a blatant handball that led to a penalty.
      Gabriel Magalhaes was also lucky to stay on the pitch in the end after initially receiving a red card from referee Chris Kavanagh, who later overturned the decision after reviewing VAR.
      It was Aaron Ramsdale who saved the day for the Gunners.
      The England international made some excellent last-ditch saves to keep Leeds at bay, but he was offered little reassurance from the nervous back four.
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      Earlier this week, Leeds boss Jesse Marsch suggested that Arsenal could be genuine title contenders.
      But, the Gunners will have to vastly improve on that performance if they want to remain in the race.
      Despite the nailbiting outcome, Arteta and his side will be thrilled with the result.
      Arsenal have now won nine of their opening 10 Premier League games – the club’s best start to a top-flight campaign since 1903.
      With a constant flow of fixtures on the horizon, including next week’s Europa League clash with PSV and a Premier League meeting with Southampton, the Gunners will be eager to keep this winning momentum going. More

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      Arsenal Ratings: Ramsdale saves the day following a defensive disaster as Arsenal scrape narrow win over Leeds

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      ARSENAL managed to retain their spot at the top of the Premier League table by scraping a narrow 1-0 win over Leeds.Mikel Arteta’s side really struggled on this occasion, but they somehow managed to come away with all three points.
      Arsenal scraped a narrow winCredit: Reuters
      Ramsdale stole the show for the GunnersCredit: Reuters
      Bukayo Saka’s first half strike was enough to secure a victory for the Gunners on an unconvincing afternoon.
      Here’s how SunSport’s Emillia Hawkins rated the performance.
      Aaron Ramsdale – 7
      Ramsdale was the sole reason why Arsenal stole the points from today’s clash.
      He made some fantastic saves to keep Leeds at bay, even though he had little to do while Bamford stepped up to take the penalty.
      Ben White – 4
      White appeared to be one of the weaker links in Arsenal’s squad this afternoon.
      He was caught out of position on multiple occasions while Leeds pushed forward, meaning Saliba had to cover two positions.
      It gave the likes of Luis Sinisterra and Brenden Aaronson the time and space to create a huge threat.
      William Saliba – 4
      Saliba has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent players this season, but today’s performance was far from his best.
      The Frenchman made some important blocks here and there, but he almost gifted Leeds a goal after his heavy first touch rolled into the path of Bamford. But luckily, Ramsdale was there to make a superb double save.
      And to make matters worse, he gave away a penalty with a blatant handball.
      Gabriel – 5
      The Brazilian has experienced a dip in confidence over the past few weeks, but he put in a solid defensive performance today… until he almost gave away a penalty in the 90th minute.
      Takehiro Tomiyasu – 6
      The full-back did a good job considering he was only introduced to the left side of defence last week.
      Thomas Partey – 5
      Partey put on a solid display in midfield but sometimes struggled with the pace and high intensity of which Leeds attacked with.
      Granit Xhaka – 5
      Similar to Partey, he struggled at times under the pressure of the Leeds attack.
      Martin Odegaard – 4
      Odegaard has been superb for Arsenal this season, but he showcased an underwhelming performance against Leeds.
      The midfielder was faced with high pressure from the Whites throughout which led to a number of misplaced passes and poor chances.
      Bukayo Saka – 6
      The young star caused a few problems for Pascal Struijk throughout the first half but had little involvement after that.
      He did score the decisive goal however, and it was a fantastic strike.
      Gabriel Martinelli – 5
      The Brazilian had little to offer for Arsenal today, a stark contrast from his previous performances this season.
      Gabriel Jesus – 5
      Jesus also failed to make much of an impact for the Gunners, but, then again, he was granted little to no service in attack.
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